Razor blade sharpener



April 21, 1942. E. H. SCHIPPER I RAZOR BLADE SHARPENER Si v.

Filed July 15, 1940 .Ilbllllll rulli olll 1 l-- Hdrl Patented Apr. l b

.UNITED; STATES@ PATENT .l fio-Fries 7; a -azsoizgfp 'a f i QRAzoR BLADE sriRrENER a l A .a mm1 nsenippei, Pasadena, Calif.I -Apueatin`niiyia1940,;seria1Naaiame f y `1 claim.,` (orsi- 2112) i l i wardface vandto the stiffening flanges s This invention relates `generally to Sharpeners for double-edged razor blades,` and more `I iarticu-` larly to vSharpeners,of` the type consisting of `a cylindricalor trough-shaped surface on which `theblade edge isalined and sharpened-byoscil# lating it in various directions by means `of `the linger. i c

Blade sharpenersof this general type` are now known. The provision` of a truly satisfactory, and effective article of this kind,` however, presents a considerableproblem, all factors of which` have not heretofore been appreciated. `and `taken into account.V In the first place, for truly effective action, the surface shouldwbe extremely hard. AI have found that` high carbon toolsteel, for eig,- ample, of a carbon content of vfrom .85 to 1.00%, hardened to substantiallyy 64+.RockwelL will give thedesired results. 'Ihe provisionof a satis f fI *2,280,312

or block, of a shape suitable forconv N b ing by the hand. This backing orgholding mem-l ber is preferably `composed of rubber, vulcani/fiedv i directly to the back surface of the plate.v1,tii sA of" a backing member of little for substantiallyf no flexibility or yeldabilityesubjects the plate to 4:the eiect'sof undesirable Warpingfstrainls.` Such as may leadl to deformationand fracture of!` ythe steelplate, which is of such brittleness that-it factory blade Sharpener from steel of suchhardness, however.. is a matter of considerable difficulty. A blade Sharpener of the present type should becapableof being conveniently held in orienand, Whilethebiade is Qsciuated by `'die linger ofthe other. It should therefore not .be` unduly heavy, and this requirement, as well'v as the consideration of the` cost of themetal, indi-` cates theuse of a somewhat thin` cylindrical plate, rather than a block Vof Y substantial. thickness. Steel of the hardness mentioned, however, is very brittle, and if the plate isof a" thickness dimension ranging in the neighborhood of saye", there is likelihood `of fracture in service, owing to the inherent lackof flexibilityein `a plate of,`

such thickness. Butmy making the plategstillj thinner, for exampleof athickness of from02f5b?1 to glei', there is achievedthei requisite lightness` in weight and low cost of .materlaL andalso` sufficient flexibilityvor spring notwithstanding the brittleness ofthe metal, that the plate will i give to the requisite degree, without cracking, while being used. But this choice leads'to) a further problem, since a simple hardened,` cylindrically-shaped steel plate, of the thinnessindicated, will invariably warp vin course of production, and any` slight degree of warping will of course destroy the usefulness of the article. To avoid this occurrence, I formeach of the four edges of the plate with a turned stiffening flange. These flanges hold the `plate true to form during manufacture and afterwards, and` assure a perfectly true surface, such as would otherwise prove cracking foifjunder the pressure` capable of withstanding but 11m@-deiiectioriwithf4 outv cracking.

a l'rrie nexime backing niemeer is iiie'apaeifff' thus warping`v and so` settingnp strains in the steel plate such as might-,lead to cracking. nd

`the plate itself is of sucnthinness that it capable of a small degree of deflection without cracking,` as lstated above, while the stiffeiiing' l flanges "serve not only to. restrain warping-but alsotorestrain the plate igai`nst aJ dangefroue degree of deflection during the i'sharpeninglo 11iation. The described stilfening flanges, if`1`ef of the same hardness as the plate, areliable to member to the back of the plate. -Thisbdiflic-ultyy `is avoided by annealing the flanges following i hardening` 0f the plate.

`with this. preliminary discussion inniie, ni l invention will now be best described by referring y Fig. l is a planview of the Sharpener; Y

Fig. 2 is a transverse'section online 2-2`of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3"-3 of Fig.r l;

impossible to achieve with aplate of the thinness indicated. l l

As a means for holding the cylindrical sharpening plate during use, I secure to its entire rear Fig. 4 shows thesharpener usedasa holder for f ,l

curved edges of plate I0 are formed with downturned' stiffening flanges I2, and the two side what pliable,.fiexible or yieldable backing member enient grasp-r b i ,exertedk in i operation of vulcanizing the rubber backing Fig. 3a is an enlarged detail taken vfrom VFig.

edges with outwardly turned stiffening flanges I 3.

The plate, being hardened to the degree indicated,

is very brittle, and if the flanges were to be left of the same hardness, they would be very likely to crack off during ther procedure of vulcanizing the later described base to the plate. Therefore', after the plate as a whole is hardened, the flanges are annealed, which may readily be done by f running a small gas ame along them.

Bonded torthevrearward or convex face of cylindric plate III, and to the inner and under surfaces of the anges I2 and I3, respectively, is a flexible backing member, holder or base I5, prefg erably composed of rubber vulcanized directly to the plate, and of a hardness approximating or preferablysomewhat exceeding that of tire rubber, though not so hard that the material is capablel of warping and so deforming and possibly cracking the plate. In other words, then surfaces |525V ISb, andlc are intimately bonded to the convex surface of the cylindric plate, and to the flanges I2 andl3, respectively. The'block `I5`thus `being of rubber this is preferably done by vulcanizing, as stated above. The four flanges thus prevent surfaces abutted by' the edges of therubber backing member, and' enable a better bondtov be securedbetween the backing member and the plate. 'Ihe'member I5 is preferably and here` shown as formed at the bottom with a rectangular or box-like formation defined by integral flanges lIEfsueh as may be: conveniently gripped by the hand while the device is in use. Two opposite vmembers of 'these flanges may be formed position (Fig. 4) This provision affords a handy support on which the razor `may be rested when not in use.

The methodof use is the same as with prior Sharpeners of this vgeneral type, except that be' cause Yof the increased `effectiveness ofthe present article, a isubstantially lesser number of strokes is required. The razor blade 20 is simply placed in the position of Fig. 3, and then depressed somewhat at the center, and moved back andjforth, in the directions indicated in'Fi'g. 3, and also in a direction longitudinally of the cylindric surface.' Thus the blade may be given a treme hardness.

sort of oscillatory motion, with components of motion both longitudinally and transverse of the cylindric surface, and as a result of the action of the very hard and highly polished steel surface on the blade edges, the microscopic teeth of the blade are quickly re-alined, as well as honed. A relatively few strokes is suicient to recondition a blade otherwise ready to be discarded.

As stated in the foregoing, the superior results achieved by the present Sharpener are mainly due to the use of a high carbon steel, tempered to ex- To provide such a surface, I use a Very thin cylindric plate, such as will be capable Vof springing or defiecting slightly in service without cracking, despite the extreme brittleness of steel of such character. To restrain* thisy deection, and also to restrain deformation or bulging of the surface, the four stifwithy notches II rfor convenient reception of a l razorV I8 when the device is placed in an inverted fening flanges are employed. And finally, a backingorbase member of a somewhat flexible character-isfemployed to the end that warping of the base, such as would lead to deforming strains, and actual cracking of a plate of such thinness and brittleness as is used, will not occur. These features in combination result in a blade sharpener which is most effective in use, is convenient to handle, and is designed for low cost as well as durability. f

- I claim:

In a razor Sharpener of the character described, the combination of a thin cylindric plate of highly hardened steel, downwardly-turned integral flanges formed along the two curved edges of said cylindric plate, outwardly-turned integral flanges formed along the two side edges of said cylindric'plata'said four flanges preserving the form of the cylindric plate after forming, and a base block of rubber or the equivalent that is sulciently flexible to conform to the shape of the-thin cylindric plate without exerting substantial warping strains thereon having a concave face engaging and intimately bonded to the entire under, convex surface of said plate, said rubber block having, at the ends of said concave face, endv surfaces formed parallel to said downwardly-turned flanges and abutting and intimately bonded to the inside faces of said flanges, and having, along the longitudinal edges of said concave face, longitudinal upwardly facing edges formed parallel to said outwardly-turned flanges and abutting and intimately bonded to the under facesfof said flanges, all so arranged that said block supports the thin cylindric plate and its downwardly and outwardly turned flanges, without exerting substantial warping strains on the plate. 'A 1 U EMIL H. SCHIPPER.

, GERTI'RIGTE. QF CORREGTILQN; Patent No. 2,(2804.31.24` Apri; 2.1,', 191,2. Ems H SCHIPPER. l

lt is hereby certified error appears the: printed specification 0l" thebove, numbsrfipetent requiring. @erection es fQLlQwSf Page .2, Sac? on@ @,Qlmn. line 5,1, beginning wie the` words. "In a razor strike but all. tg@ and including 'the mii- 1 an@ .period "plate claim, and insert instead the. following i In a razor Sharpener of the character described,- the'l combination of a cylindrical platfe of highly hardened high carbon tool steel having a concave( sharpening surface, and said plate being of a thickness no greater-than substantially one thirty second of anl inch, said plate having curved ends and substantially straight'side edges, the curved ends of the plate being formed with downwardly turned integral flanges, said -straight side edges having outwardly turned integral flanges andarubf ber base block for. supporting said plate, said block being suffi-v ciently flexible to conform to the shape of theV thin cylindrical plate without exerting `substantial warping strains thereon and having a plain, uninterrupted concave upper face engaging and vulcanized to the adjacent convex surface of said plate, said s block having .its ends substantially parallel to thev downwardly turned flanges on said plate sov as to bev overlapped by the same and abutting and vulcanized to the inside face sof the downwardly turned flanges, said block having .longitudinal side edges overlapped by and abutting the outwardly turned flanges on said plate and vulcanized to said flanges, said flanges along all four edges of theplate constituting stiffening meansfor preserving the true cylindrical shape of the plate against the effect of warping strains during forming and heat treatment, and presenting surfaces to vhich said ends and longitudinal side edges of the rubber block may be vulcanize bonding of the block to the plate. I

d to assure and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therain that the same may conform to the record ofthe case in the Patent Office. 4 A

' signed and sealed this 16th myl of June, A. D. 191,;2'.

VHenry Van `Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents;

"" in. lille 57,1` CQmprising the 

